Wolves ‘Considered Late Hijack’ to Beat Rivals to O’Shea
Wolverhampton Wanderers considered a late swoop for defender Dara O’Shea, who has now officially joined newly-promoted Ipswich Town from Championship outfit Burnley, according to reports.
The Midlands club have had a quiet summer so far with just a handful of new additions, the most notable being midfielder Rodrigo Gomes from Portuguese side Braga. However, the club have lost some big names in Pedro Neto and Max Kilman, who joined Chelsea and West Ham United respectively.
Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil will hope his side can improve on their 14th-placed finish from last season, but he is recovering from the blow of missing out on a rumoured defensive target in O’Shea.
Wolves Contemplated Move for O’Shea
The defender has now joined Ipswich Town
Former Burnley defender O’Shea has now officially completed a move to Ipswich, but the door had reportedly been left open for Wolves to step in and make a last-ditch attempt to hijack the deal. According to journalist Alan Nixon, writing on his Patreon, O’Neil was waiting in the wings and considering a move while a £18million switch to Portman Road edged closer.
The article suggests Wolves remained in the mix to sign the Republic of Ireland international until the latter stages of the deal with Premier League rivals Ipswich, and Brentford were also monitoring developments. O’Shea, 25, has now signed a five-year deal until 2029 with The Tractor Boys.
The defender began his youth career in his homeland of Ireland with Dublin-based side St Kevin’s Boys. In 2015, he made the move to England and joined West Bromwich Albion’s academy, and he remained in the Midlands until last summer.
Over the course of eight years, O’Shea had loan spells at Hereford and Exeter City, and he went on to make over 100 appearances for West Brom’s first team. In 2023, having been described as ‘brilliant’ by former Baggies boss Slaven Bilic, he signed for Burnley. But they were unable to retain their top flight status, and were relegated after just one season back in the top flight.
O’Neil Poised to Miss Out on Landing Carmo
West Midlands outfit have been keeping tabs on the Porto man
In another blow for Wolves, they have reportedly missed out on an alternative defensive target in Porto’s David Carmo. After losing Kilman earlier in the summer, O’Neil has been eager to bolster his backline before the transfer deadline.
Having seen O’Shea complete his move to Ipswich, meaning his arrival at Molineux is not on the cards, it has now been reported that O’Neil could also miss out on Carmo, who they have been heavily linked with throughout the summer. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 25-year-old is closing in on a move to Nottingham Forest.
The report claims the East Midlands club will pay Porto a fee of €11million, plus a potential further €4million in add-ons. Carmo will join Forest on a five-year deal, but will spend the upcoming season on loan at Greek side Olympiacos.
Carmo was born in Portugal and represented the nation at youth level, but he made his senior debut for Angola earlier this year. He has played for numerous clubs, including Braga and Benfica, before he moved to Porto in the summer of 2022.
